Of Beautiful and Good Things
by DarkWolf-Nightmare
Summary: "Have you ever noticed how this world simply gets rid of any good things it finds?" Rivetra week, day 2 - Ephemeral


Levi suddenly opens his eyes in a rush.

" _Pull yourself together, your damn coward! It was just a nightmare."_

It was just a nightmare, indeed. One he can't quite remember now, but he doesn't want to, anyway.

He stares at the blank ceiling in the dark; he feels his heart beating frenetically against his bare chest, he breaths heavily and cold sweats.

A movement beside him catches his eyes. He shifts his position and what he sees makes his hearts cool down.

Petra' s curled right beside him, her cooper strands of hair are messed upon the pillow, she's snoring lightly, her face is so pacific and the moonlight touches softly her skin, making her look almost divine.

Damn, she's so beautiful he could look at her for the rest of his days and never get tired.

But suddenly, fear reaches his mind. Levi lived long enough to learn that in such a cruel world as this one, the beautiful and good things would never last long.

He knows she's strong and can take care of herself, but he can't avoid this fear that makes him sweat cold, his mind noisy and his heart go fast when he tries to imagine how would be living without being able to touch her soft skin, to look deep into her eyes or feel her smiling while he tastes her warm lips.

He's so lost on his thoughts that he doesn't realize she's awoken and looking worried at him.

"Levi?"

He's driven out of his wandering by her luring voice, and his eyes soften when he meets those bright orbs that could make all the stars out there jealous.

"Hey, why are you awoken?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Damn it, she knows how to get to him. But there's no way in hell that he, the stubborn captain Levi, would tell her that he's just had an horrible nightmare, so he just says "I was just thinking." She doesn't seem to believe him, of course. She can see through him very well, but instead of pressuring him, she just asks "About what?"

"About this world." He says, and it's not a completely lie.

"What do you mean?"

He ponders for a moment. "Have you ever noticed how this world simply gets rid of any good things it finds?"

"Oh" She shifts to a sitting position and looks towards the window." Well, yes, I have. I guess nothing really lasts forever. You see, the coffee gets cold, the leaves fall, the rain stops. Everything in this world is just so… ephemeral, like everything we see and hear and touch will just fade away in the blink of an eye."

Their eyes meet, and they stay that way for a while, just gazing at each other in silence, until she says:

"This world is just so cruel"

He knows that very well. During all his life he witnessed people suffering; he saw the powerful killing and the innocent getting killed; the poor starving while the rich ones got even more rich (and fat). And as all of this wasn't enough, he saw many amazing and strong soldiers under his orders being swallowed and crushed by those damned titans.

Levi saw and felt how this world is unfair.

This world is cruel, indeed. But now, looking into her eyes, he stops for a moment and thinks. The beautiful and the good things never last long, that's true. But they do exist, like the sun getting high in the sky far beyond the horizon, changing slowly the colors of the sky; the blooming of thousands of flowers in the beginning of the spring; the endless green fields and the new landscapes they find in expeditions outside the walls; the twinkle in the eyes and the wide smiles of people; the actions of love.

The good things are everywhere; they are simple and the fact that they don't last long makes them even more valuable.

And now, looking at his lover, with a smile on her face, her sunlit eyes, her blazing hair, her freckled cheeks; considering all her kindness, benevolence, strength and selflessness, he thinks that all of the beautiful and the good things, that she's surely the best and the most beautiful one.

He slightly smiles back at her and says "You're right, this world is cruel indeed. But you're the proof that it still can do beautiful things."

Her expression of amusement almost makes him laugh. Even through the darkness, he can see that she's blushing hard and now, she smiles widely. Well, she's not used to say those kinds of things, so it's natural that she's surprised. He is.

Without a warning, she moves upwards him and crushes her lips in his. They've done it many time, and it feels natural, but he can't avoid this overwhelming feeling every time they kiss.

He moves his hands to hold her face and kisses her back. She tastes like coffee, warm and sweet; her lips are tender but she kisses him intensely, and so he does.

Levi doesn't know how long they will be able to meet like this; or how long he will be able to feel the warmth of her skin against his touch, look into her starry eyes or kiss her; because their lives here is short, fragile, ephemeral; but he knows that their love for each other is not.


End file.
